


I Was Always a Fool

by Jaetion



Series: Love That Dirty Water [2]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Bonding, Feelings, Friendship, Gen, Not Beta Read, Pre-Canon, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-10-14 00:37:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17498318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaetion/pseuds/Jaetion
Summary: Cutler stared across the table at his friend, who had started frowning at something on the other side of the bar. He twisted in his seat, trying to follow Danse’s line of sight and saw approximately jack shit: some other traders, a young couple out on the town together, an old asshole carving something into his table.





	I Was Always a Fool

**Author's Note:**

> If you bring Danse when you talk to Magnolia, he says that he likes country and bluegrass music. 
> 
> I headcanon Culter as basically being a War Boy.

2276, Rivet City

\---

“Danse. Hey, Danse. Danse. Hey, what are you even looking at?”

Cutler stared across the table at his friend, who had started frowning at something on the other side of the bar. He twisted in his seat, trying to follow Danse’s line of sight and saw approximately jack shit: some other traders, a young couple out on the town together, an old asshole carving something into his table. He turned back around for another gulp of beer and tried again. “Hey. Danse. Come on.”

He waved his hand. “Sh - just for a second.”

“What?”

“Just be quiet!”

Cutler raised his eyebrows and took another swing of beer. He caught the eye of a girl at the table next to them - looked like she’d been listening in - and gave her a dramatic shrug. Her smile was wane before she let her gaze drift over to Danse. Figured. Glowering now, Cutler returned to his drink. She was shit out luck there - Danse showed zero interest in all but a few things, and so far, very few of those few things were other people.

Suddenly Danse grinned, even laughed a bit - another rare thing. “Did you hear that song?”

“What?” Cutler sputtered. Of all the things to have caught Danse’s attention! A damn song? He leaned forward and put his palm across Danse’s forehead before he swatted him away. “Brain fever, that’s what it is. Sorry man, there’s no hope for you.”

“Whatever that song was, it was…” he paused and shook his head. And he was still grinning with his perfect teeth. Culter glanced over at the girl, who was now staring at Danse with her mouth practically watering. If Danse noticed, he didn’t acknowledge her and instead looked eagerly at Cutler as he said, “Do you know what it’s called? I need a radio. Can we get a radio? A holotape or something -”

“Shit!” Cutler said with a chuckle. “It was… I don’t know, Danse. Some old country song. I wasn’t really listening.”

“You should’ve!” He’d even started leaning forward and after than exclamation, sat back down with a thump. His big brown eyes were excited - in fact his whole face was lit up. “I don’t think I ever heard anything like that. Country?”

“Yeah. Country, country western, I don’t really know the difference.” Now it was his turn to be interested and he studied Danse intently. “You really never heard a country song before? Where did you grow up - You sure it wasn't a vault?”

Despite traveling together for weeks, he still didn’t really know that much about his business partner. Most of the time they talked about weapons and their mods, how to kill different types of monsters out in the wastes, what they would do with unlimited funds; sometimes Cutler told Danse about his deadbeat dad and all the different ways he learned to cheat at cards to make caps for the family. What he got out of Danse was much less interesting: orphan, mostly lived alone. And that was about it.

“No, to both your questions,” Danse replied. “Do you think the bartender would know?”

Before waiting for an answer he was on his feet. The girl at the next table started to rise but Danse was nothing if not efficient and he’d already slid through the crowd before she could reach out to him. Cutler raised his beer in a sympathetic salute.

As tall as he was, it was easy enough to see Danse coming back over the heads of the other scavvers. He was frowning again, this time though it was his thoughtful one. “Three dogs,” he announced.

Cutler grabbed Danse’s jacket and Danse allowed himself to be reeled in. Again Cutler pressed his hand against Danse’s forehead. “Yeah, you fried whatever you had in there.”

“I should ask three dogs,” he repeated patiently and pulled away. “I couldn’t get a answer as to why, where, or which three dogs, but at least it’s a start.”

When Cutler laughed, Danse frowned in annoyance. The girl still making eyes at him, Danse standing there ramrod straight, three fucking dogs - It was so absurd and weird and perfect. He banged on the table helplessly, laughing even harder. Poor damn Danse! It was amazing he survived long enough for them to meet. “No, man,” he said between wheezes. “Three Dog! The DJ! Shit, Danse - Three dogs. I’m dying and you’re killing me three fucking dogs.”

“Ah.”

He fell off his chair and rolled around in the wet dirt below their table. “Three fucking dogs!”

“All right, Cutler. I get it. Very funny. Come on - You’re getting filthy.”

“Oh my god. You’re outstanding Danse, swear to god. Three dogs!”

“Get off the ground. I need you to help me get to this DJ.”

“I can’t. I’m dead. Ow, fuck, I think I broke a rib. Get me a stimpak.” He lay flat on the ground, smelling the array of fascinating new scents the floor had to offer. “I’m not drunk enough for this.”

He cracked an eye open to watch Danse bend down and rub at his chin. With his dark hair, he had stubble almost immediately after shaving. When Cutler didn’t shave, he started to look like a murder hobo; Danse looked scruffily broody. After contemplating Cutler for a moment he said, “Three Dog is a terrible name.”

“Yeah, sort of. But don’t tell him that - Don’t think pissing off the voice of the Capital is the way you want to get famous.”

“So you’ll help me find him?”

“Fuck it. Yeah, sure. But you owe me.”

Danse offered his hand and pulled as Cutler wiggled himself out from under the chairs. When he was sitting again, Cutler sighed and tried to dust himself off. His beer bottle still had a little left in it and he chugged the dregs. After another sigh, he tapped the bottle thoughtfully. ”Why’d you like that song so much?”

“It was melancholy. Tragic, maybe. Just her voice and the guitar, but she was able to impart so much.”

“So you really never heard a country song before?”

Danse shook his head. “I guess I…” he paused. For a moment he looked a little lost. Despite his hard ass behavior, the man clearly had a sensitive side. Eyes got soft, lips dipped down, he even hunched a bit. “I know I didn’t have much of an upbringing. I missed out on a lot.”

“Hey man, don’t worry about it.” 

“There’s so much I have to learn. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me so far.”

That was the other thing about Danse: so fucking earnest. Cutler shifted on his chair uncomfortably but then capitulated and added sincerely, “You’re a good guy, Danse. And we’re good together.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Hey, losers!” The girl from the next table smacked her hand between them. Her hair was in two braids that swung around her face and from under her bangs her eyes glared at them. She was even cuter up close. “It was ‘Johnny Guitar.’ For chrissake. Never been out west, have you?”

“Uh - no,” Cutler stuttered in surprise and Danse shook his head.

“‘Johnny Guitar,’” she repeated. When she straightened, she tossed one of her braids over her shoulder. “I must’ve heard Mr. New Vegas play that song ten thousand times. Anyway, there. Saved you the trouble of getting into the Galaxy News studio.”

She put her hands on her hips and looked at them expectantly.

“Thank you,” Danse replied. And then that was it. 

“Hey, yeah, thanks!” Cutler pushed out a chair for her. He sent a meaningful, furtive look at Danse, who mouthed a “what?” back at him. Useless. “So yeah, how about we get you a drink? I’m Cutler and this is Danse-”

“No, I’m turning in for the night,” Danse said. He nodded politely at the girl. “Thanks again for the info.”

And then he strolled away, leaving Cutler and the girl to watch his dumb ass disappear out the door.

“You’re kidding me,” she grumbled to herself. She picked up Danse’s bottle of beer and peered into it hopefully. But it was empty. Another disappointment for the poor girl.

“Nope, that’s the way he is. If he doesn’t care about something, he ignores it completely. No offense.” He leaned closer to her and rested his arm against the back of her chair. “But I’m not like that -”

“Yeah, no, sorry. I saw you taking a dirt bath and I really don’t feel like dealing with a disease right now.” She stood up and flipped her braids. And then didn’t even glance back at him as she fucked off to wherever.

Cutler scrubbed his hands over his face, smearing more grime onto his skin. And then he slowly pulled himself to his feet and headed to exit. Might as well save their caps instead of blowing it all on a night drinking alone. How’d that stupid song go? He whistled it to himself as he trailed after Danse. “Something guitar, something something my Johnny… Maybe you're cold but you're so warm inside...”


End file.
